KELSO, Wash. (AP) — Authorities have found the body of an Army lieutenant reported missing near Mount St. Helens in southwest Washington state.
Hikers found 1st Lt. Brian Yang, 25, on a ridge below them in the Mt. Whittier area on Wednesday afternoon, the Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office said.
Hikers said the person they saw was unresponsive, sheriff’s officials said.
Searchers responded, confirmed it was Yang and that he had died, according to authorities. He appeared to have fallen about 200 feet (61 meters) down a very steep embankment.
He was last seen at the Coldwater Trail Head around noon on Sunday.
According to its Twitter account, the Army’s I Corps was also involved in the search effort.
Yang was a platoon leader assigned to 513th Transportation Company, 13th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 593rd Expeditionary Sustainment Command, according to a news release from Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
“First Lt. Yang touched the lives of so many within our organization and will be sorely missed. We want to thank all of the law enforcement and the local public who volunteered their time to help look for Brian,” Lt. Col. Alan Fowler said in the news release.
The incident is under investigation, the news release said.
About 130 JBLM service members had joined the search for Yang, alongside Cowlitz County Search and Rescue, local media reported.
